Re-upload annotations

therocco

Hello. I have been trying to use zotero both on my computer and my ipad. For some reason, all my yesterday's notes on my ipad for a file disappeared. I was able to retrieve the annotation files, which are .png s, but I am not able to upload them back on the relevant files. How one should do that?
I tried to copy and paste them all in the zotero folder of the file on the computer, but when I then open the file it only shows the me vanilla version. Help please!

dstillman

I'm not really sure what you mean here. Can you try to explain this again, step by step? (Where are you actually looking? What do .pngs have to do with anything?)

therocco

Thanks for your answer. Apologies if that was not clear. I try again.

Yesterday I took some annotations on a pdf with zotero on ipad.
This morning, the ipad synched, and the annotated pdf was replaced for some reason by the non-annoted pdf that was on my PC.
I am trying to restore my annotations. I was able to find in the iPad zotero folder a folder "annotations", which is full of .png files of the things I actually wrote on the pdf. The folder path looks like "Container\AppGroups\group.org.zotero.ios.Zotero\annotations\custom_my_library\[[[filename]]]". These are indeed the yesterday's annotations I am trying to restore (I guess Zotero Ipad app stores them in .png format?).
Now, I am not sure how to "put them back in the relevant pdf": I have this bunch of pngs, but I do not how to upload them back in the pdf they lived on.

Is this a bit clearer?

dstillman

No, those are just cache files. How are you even viewing that folder? Is this a jailbroken device?

What's the zotero.org URL of the parent item in your online library?

therocco

I see... It is not a jailbroken device. I just used a (legit) third-app data manager - I extracted the app data and then viewed it on my computer.

The URL is https://www.zotero.org/therocco/collections/IG7Q2KI7/items/HVWGSGPN/collection

dstillman

I think you're just confused here. That item has four child PDFs with the same filename. One of them has 12 annotations, and another has 181. You're probably just opening the wrong file.

The reason those cache files would still exist is because the annotations also still exist.

therocco

Interesting. The problem is that I really can only see one file.
Clicking on that folder, it says "1 attachment", last modified 18/4/2023, 10:53:52. I cannot see anything else?
Apologies if I am missing something oblivious...

dstillman

You moved three of them to the trash.

therocco

That's... I don't understand why and how it happened to be fair, but you are right - the annotated pdf was in the trash under the same name... I honestly wonder how this happened, but I cannot exclude that I am just going mad at this point.

Thank you so much for your help. I wish you a good day.